A unique light show in Sagada’s Cemetary
No, this is not a scene from “Constantine” movie’s hell dimension. This is what the people of Sagada calls the “Festival of lights“. It’s so refreshing to see a different cultural practice being observed up here in the Cordilleras. A fellow traveler akin the practice to those of Mexico’s. So why is it like this? Not candles?
Actually some graves have candles for those who no longer practice the pine wood burning, but majority still follow the tradition. This tradition started when long ago there were no candles available at the province so they have to improvise with pine wood. Before that they have this early afternoon mass which they do a “Roll call” of all the names of the dead since the beginning of recorded history until to the most recent ones who have died. (So imagine the list growing every year and the ceremony grows longer) Then the priest blesses the pine woods which they will be using to burn as pyre at their loved one’s grave. By sundown all of them lights up their pine woods, thus the festival of lights start. From afar it would seem that the forest is on fire.
Sagada is a perfect place to go to during the holloweens, not only from it’s natural hanging coffins and human remains scattered on its vicinity but also in experiencing this “Festival of Lights”. Happy holloween!
layo pala ng pinuntahan mo, ako naman nakiusyoso lang sa Libingan ng mga Bayani….yon lang kasi malapit dito sa taguig. Sana makasama rin ako sa travel mo next time….
wow, what a remarkable all souls’ day tradition unique to our highland tribes. i never knew about this until now.
he ferdz,
i was in sagada three weeks ago and i must say it was a marvel, ang ganda ng lugar, malinis and the natives, they are so good..
ang alam ko sa Cordilleras, practice daw ng mga natives don na maglibing ng patay sa backyard ng bahay nila? some were even reported burying their dead inside their homes? totoo ba yon?
nice to be here again…
Hi Bong: Yes, buti naman at maganda pa rin ang sagada after all these years maganda pa rin.
Yung mga tribes iba iba ang rituals nila after death. Yung isa they tie up their dead sa chair tas naka tapat sa door. And people still talk to this corpse as if they are living. They do these for a few days. Iba iba sila pero very interesting.
[...] I hope our media feature more on the interesting traditions of our locals and indigenous people. Once such tradition that only a few people knew is the Festival of Lights celebrated high up in the mountains of Sagada. I wrote about this before but I’d like to feature some photos I wasn’t able to post then. It’s a very interesting practice that should be included in your itinerary in case you decide to visit the place during Holloween. [...]
actually, we use ”SALENG” in lightening not candles…we use this every now and then….we go there every year to visit the ”libingan” of our lolo and lala..thats all..tekzz for letting me write here!!gud day God bless!!!1
[...] of our locals and indigenous people. Once such tradition that only a few people knew is the Festival of Lights celebrated high up in the mountains of Sagada. I wrote about this before but I’d like to feature [...]
[...] of our locals and indigenous people. Once such tradition that only a few people knew is the Festival of Lights celebrated high up in the mountains of Sagada. I wrote about this before but I’d like to feature [...]